A recent traffic incident in which New Rochelle High School swim coach Edward "Kip" Fierro caused a three car collision landing a local elementary school teacher in the hospital and him into police custody has brought to light a lucrative deal Fierro and his family have enjoyed for many years at the expense of New Rochelle taxpayers.

The staggering amounts of money involved raises serious questions as to the motivation of school officials involved.

Talk of the Sound spoke with a number of current and former employees of the New Rochelle Board of Education, parents, students and others familiar with the New Rochelle swimming pool and swim programs. They tell us that Kip Fierro has worked for the New Rochelle Board of Education as a Teaching Assistant and Swim Coach as far back as 1997, and possibly longer. He is paid a salary, benefits and accrues a pension. His school day responsibilities largely entail serving as a life guard at the pool. He coaches the boys and girls swim team. His pay and benefits are a pittance to what he makes running the Badger Swim Club out of New Rochelle High School.

New Rochelle Resident Steve Mayo has filed a court action called an Article 78. Article 78 is a mechanism of New York Civil Law that allows a regular citizen like Steve to stop a government agency or officer from acting outside their jurisdiction. That is precisely what the Mayor and Council are attempting to do by flouting the law that prevents them from using illegal revenue sources like the Garbage Fee/Tax.

Upon filing the Article 78 action, Mr. Mayo said, “I’m just one taxpayer and taking on city government is kind of a David Vs. Goliath proposition but I believe that when taxpayers see how outrageous this fake ‘fee-tax’ is, this issue will gain attention and support. Then we can work together as an informed and mobilized citizen group to stop this ‘slight of hand’ type of accounting in our city budget.

Mr Mayo added, “The presumptuousness, the disingenuousness of the majority in masking their machinations is positively insulting, never mind being a textbook example of 'opacity in government.'"

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NOTE: New Rochelle citizens will gather at 10AM on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at New Rochelle City Hall to voice their outrage at the illegal and irresponsible garbage tax that will cost every New Rochelle home and apartment owner hundreds of dollars more in city taxes every year.

Shakespeare in his timeless tragedy Romeo and Juliet said, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". In other words, regardless of what name you call something, it doesn't change what it is and it certainly doesn't change the way it smells. In the 2012 New Rochelle city budget, Mayor Bramson and the City Council hid a $223.00 tax for every single house and individual apartment in New Rochelle. They refer to this tax as a Garbage Fee but that doesn't change the way it smells or what it is…it stinks and it’s a tax.

December 22, 2011

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224

RE: Tax-Cap

Honorable Governor Cuomo,

I contact you as 56-year old New Rochellian who had to move from my city of birth due to high taxes. I am now faced with the task of maintaining our New Rochelle family home in hopes of keeping my 80-year-old mother-in-law, who suffers from dementia, in familiar surroundings until her time comes.

 I got to wondering about this yesterday and this is what NRs 2012 budget means to me. 

My home is assessed at $17,000 so the city portion of my property taxes will be $3,154.01 (multiply the assessment by the new tax rate off $185.53 and then divide by 1,000 because the tax rate is per $1,000 of assessment) then add on the garbage tax of $223.00 to bring my total tax bill to $3,357.01.  Now in comparison, I paid $3,042.68 last January.  To calculate the percentage increase over last year, take the difference ($314.33) and divide it by the amount of tax paid last year or 10.3307%.  

This example is for properties assessed at $17,000 so if your property is assessed lower; your tax % increase will be higher because the garbage tax is fixed.  Likewise, if your assessment is higher than $17,000 the percentage increase will be lower, also because the garbage tax is fixed. 

Let’s all give a big thanks Noam & Chuck for the gifts they’re taking from under everyone’s tree this year. 

The outlook for the City of New Rochelle taxpayers continues to be bleak. The City Manager, Chuck Strome, told the City Council on November 15 this was the "most difficult budget any City Manager has had to prepare." The tax cap was mandated on the City with no relief from the state. Because of a dip in assessments (from certioraris) a tax rate of 6.36% is projected. The tax levy mandated at 2% along with an extra allowed 1.68% increase for pension costs, required severe cuts in expenditures. Personnel cuts were listed: 3 in the Police Department, 18 part time Crossing Guards, 6 Firefighters 2 Department of Public Works employees, and 1 from Parks and Recreation. On the other side of the ledger, the biggest increase in fees would be the Refuse fee which would go from $66 per household to $223 per year. Qualifying seniors would continue to pay $30.